Fence-post.



No. 781,537. PATENTED JAN. 3l, 1905.

, H. C. LOWER.` I

FENCE POST.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 9, 1904.

- Inventvor,

// l l 7 tcomregs UNITED STAT-Es Patented January 31, 1905.

`PATENT OFFICE.

FENCE-POST,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 781,537, dated Januaryl, 1905.

' Application filed April 9, 1994. Serial No. 202,386.

To all whom, t may concern,.-

Beit known that I, HENRY C. LOWER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Atlanta, in the county of Hamilton and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Fence- Post, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates .to fence-posts, andy especially to fence-posts constructed of plastic material, such as concrete-or cement; and it has for :its object to simplify and improve the construction and to produce a post having means for effectually bracing the` same.

With this and other ends in view,.which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out inthe claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a preferred form of embodiment of the invention, it being understood, however, that no limitation'is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited,

as various changes in the shape, proportions, and general assemblage of parts may be resorted to without departing from the principle of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a portion of a fence in the construction of which the invention is exhibited.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view representing one of the corner-posts and the anchor-plates disconnected. j

Corresponding parts in both figures are indicated by like characters of reference.

The post 10 is preferably of concrete, artificial stone, or similar compounds or compositions and is provided with, longitudinal binder-wires 11 embedded therein when the post is molded and also provided with aplurality of transverse apertures 12 for the strandwires 13. In' posts to be employed at corners it is intended to have two sets of such transverse perforations crossing each other at right angles, as will be seen inthe drawings. The lower ends of the posts are provided with j transverse recesses forming shoulders 14 15,

the portions between said recesses being pro- "as to overhang the notches or recesses.

vided with bolt-holes for the passage of bolts, by lmeans of which anchor-plates`19 20 may be secured in position. Additional anchorlplates 21 22 are supported upon the anchorplates 19 20, the said anchor-plates combining to form a base whereby the post will be secured firmlyk in position.

The post is provided at one of its corners, nearits upper end, with beveled-faced notches 17b 17h, having upwardly-inclined fiat faces, at the upperedges of which shoulders 17 are formed, said .shoulders merging togetherhso 1s construction is particularly well. adapted to posts that are formed of plastic material, in-

asmuch as'said notches being directly adjacent to each other may be readily formed inthe process of molding and without 0bstructing the removal of the post from the mold. When the post is formed of other than plastic material, said recesses may very easily be formed. Near the ground-line and in the vertical planes of the notches or recesses the post is provided with transverse perforations `28, crossing each other at right angles. These perforations arev for the passage of the tie rod or rods to be presently described.

When the improved post is to be utilized as a gate-post or as a corner-post or in other locations where it will lbe subjected to heavy strain, a bracing device is utilized which'will now be described. This bracing device has in Fig. 1 of the drawings been shown as applied only to one side of a post; but it is obvious that for a corner-post the bracing device will be duplicated to enable the post to resist strain in two directions at approximatelyright angles. In this bracing device is included a brace-bearing post 23, which is embedded in the ground at a short distance from the post 10, said post projecting a short distance from the ground,land preferably with its lower end the largest to prevent upward movement under the action of frost and also to increase the lateral base to prevent the settling of the post in damp weather or when employed in damp soil. Loosely supported upon the post 23 is a foot-plate 24, having at one end an inwardlyinclined rib 25 andat thevother` end an aperture 26, into which is hooked one end of a tie- TOO rod 27, the opposite end of which is extended through one of the apertures 28 near the ground-line of the post and is threaded for the reception of a nut 29, bearing against the post. Abrace 31 isprovided with ends suitably shaped to engage one of the recesses or notches 17 andthe rib 25 oi' the plate 24. The brace when thus arranged can be tightened very securely in the desired position by simply tightening the nut 29, causing the plate 24 to move in the direction of the post, and consequently binding the brace very securely in the desired position. When the post to be braced or reinforced is a cornerpost, a bracing device exactly resembling the one which has been just described will be disposed at right angles thereto. The post thus reinforced will readily resist any strain to which it is liable to be subjected without sagging and without being drawn out of line.

ln the construction of a fence intermediate posts, as 32, are employed, said posts having apertures 33 for the passage of wires 34, which are iirst bent into elongated U shape and looped around the strand-wires, the ends of said fastening-wires being bent in opposite directions around the rear side of the post and the free ends being coiled around the strandwire, as shown at 35 36. The corner-post of the fence has attached thereto opposite each strand-wire a wire-tightening device, said devices having been shovvn as including brackets 37 and drums 38, having ratchet-wheels 40, engaged by pawls 4l; but these devices are no part of the present invention and have been shown only as elements in a complete fence.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed isl. A fence-post provided with recesses or shoulders at its lower end and provided near its upper end, at one corner, with two upwardly and inwardly inclined or beveled-faced notches provided at their upper edges with shoulders overhanging said notches and merging together at the corner of the post, said post being provided above the ground-line with transverse perforatioi'is disposed in the vertical planes of the inclined notches.

2. A fence-post having a beveled-faced inclined notch near its upper end and a transverse perforation above the ground-line registering with said notch, in combination with a brace-bearing post set at a distance therefrom, a lianged plate loosely supported upon said post and having an eye, a hooked rod engaging said eye extending through the perforation in the post and having a projecting threaded end, a nut upon the latter, and a brace engaging the anged plate and the inclined notch in the post.

In testimony that I clailn the foregoing as my own I have hereto aiiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HENRY C. LOWER.

Witnesses:

JOHN A. Huissen, JOHN E. Lownn. 

